


Cupid Was a Sniper After All

by JinxedAmbitions



Category: The Losers (2010), The Losers - All Media Types
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Professor Jensen, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 06:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3346166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JinxedAmbitions/pseuds/JinxedAmbitions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone just wants Professor Jensen to be happy.  So, Jensen's students take matters into their own hands in order to help him have the perfect Valentine's Day.  It isn't so much getting a certain sniper to trade in his bullets for bouquets of roses that is the problem, but making the perfect gesture for a guy as unique as Jake Jensen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cupid Was a Sniper After All

**Author's Note:**

> There is a lot of cheesiness ahead. This is just a bit of fluff, but I might do a sexier Valentine's Day fic tomorrow.

Jake was in a bit of a haze as he walked to his classroom the day before Valentine's Day. He had several projects he was working on that had deadlines soon, and three of his students were defending their theses this semester, and he'd been working with them almost nonstop, so they'd be ready for the panel. He hadn't even realized that Valentine's Day was coming up, or he likely would have been a little more depressed at the current state of his life.

Jake really couldn't complain. He was alive. He'd gotten his life back after they brought Max down. He'd even gotten himself a PhD and a career as a professor close to where his sister and niece lived. He loved what he taught, and his students were great. He had plenty of time to get up to whatever mischief he deemed necessary, and he got to attend all of his nieces various sporting events. His life was just missing one tiny thing.

It was one of his sophomore students that clued him in that it was the day before Valentine's Day. He'd been walking to class. Running a little later than usual because one of his students had shown up in his office forty minutes before class and insisted on telling Jake all about the game he was designing about a crazy sniper that was on a revenge mission. Jake had been all ears as soon as the kid said sniper, and suddenly Jake was running late.

“Professor Jensen, wouldn't you like to buy a rose for your girlfriend for Valentine's Day?” Rebecca called out as he hurried through the building toward his classroom. Jake wouldn't be able to do his usual sweep for bugs or explosives or rearrange to keep him out of sight lines if he didn't get there soon.

“Don't have a girlfriend, Becky,” Jake told her, thinking that would put a quick end to the conversation. The roses did look nice. Jake was man enough to admit he longed to have someone to buy roses for. A specific someone with tanned skin and long dark hair, a smooth accent, and skill with a gun.

“For your boyfriend then. Men can appreciate flowers too, Professor Jensen,” she said, and Jake almost spilled his coffee down his bright t-shirt shirt. He hadn't been expecting that.

“I-I don't have a boyfriend either, Becky. It's just me, but I will buy a rose for my niece if you really want to make a sale,” Jake told her, already thinking that Beth would be over the moon if he got her a couple roses.

“Sure thing! What color would you like to get her?” she asked, cheering up.

“One of each. Why not, right?” Jake said, pulling out his wallet. “Can you keep them here for me in the water since I've got three hours of class?”

“Of course, Dr. J. I just can't believe you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend. You'd be such a great boyfriend I think. You always listen to our problems. You're really good at explaining stuff. You're funny. People are missin' out. Unless you aren't into dating or relationships, in which case I support you, Professor Jensen,” she told him as she made a bouquet of the rainbow of roses they had on display.

“I'm not against relationships. Just haven't found the right person,” Jake sighed. He was starting to understand how his team used to feel when he'd keep talking long after a conversation should've died. Though he did find Becky endearing. She was one of his most creative students which was something he appreciated. He could teach anyone the basics, but he couldn't really teach a mind to be creative, at least not in twelve weeks.

“Well, I think you'll find the right person very soon, Professor J. Love is in the air,” she told him as she gave him his change. “Don't forget to come pick up your niece's bouquet before you leave today.”

Jake nodded and hurried off toward his classroom. He couldn't help but think of Cougar for just a moment as he went. It was silly to still be pining after him after all this time, but Jake had never met anyone that just clicked with him the way Cougar had. Nothing about them should've meshed well, but they were two parts of a very skilled and deadly whole. Life without him was bleaker somehow. Cougar's silences had filled a bigger portion of Jake's life than he could fully understand until he'd lost them.

Another student stepped in front of him, and Jake almost bowled him over in his haste.

“Can I interest you in a cupid pop, Dr. Jensen?” Steven asked, holding up a heart shaped, chocolate lollipop with an arrow through it. Jake wasn't really sure when all of his students became cutthroat sales representatives for commercial holidays, but it was a little ridiculous even by Jensen's warped standards.

“Don't really have time right now, Steve,” Jake told him as he juggled his briefcase and laptop bag as well as the stack of copies he had for this class and his coffee.

“There's always time for love, Dr. J. You wouldn't risk the chance of missing the love of your life just because you had to get to class would you?” the kid asked, and Jake felt trapped. If Cougar had walked in right then, Jake would've canceled class for the rest of the semester just to have enough time to show Cougar exactly how he felt about him, but that wouldn't happen. Jake shrugged.

“I guess not. How much for a cupid pop?”

Jake walked away with three, and a feeling that he was a complete sap and destined to be broke and still alone by the time he got home that night. Of course, as he stepped into the hall that his class was located in, his students were already lined up. He started to panic just a little at the thought of not being able to rearrange the room. He had figured out the perfect arrangement that kept him out of all sniper sights. Maybe he'd just close the blinds today.

However, as Jake stepped into the class, his students close at his heels, the room was perfectly arranged. Jake paused, feeling the hair on the back of his neck raise.

“You alright, Professor Jensen? I hope you don't mind. We rearranged the class when we saw you were late. We're just so used to it this way,” one of his students said as they all took their preferred seats.

“Oh yes, sure. Awesome,” Jake said, quickly setting up his station.

That's when Jake saw a little foil wrapped chocolate heart, like the ones Jake used to bribe soldiers to buy him if they were going to be out of the country for Valentine's Day. They were Cougar's favorite actually, and Jake had developed a love for them because Cougar used to share them with him when both of them couldn't sleep at night. Jake used to crack jokes about Cougar's favorite candy being heart shaped and pink, but Cougar just smiled and ate half a bag.

Jake picked it up off the floor next to the podium. It had probably fallen out of another professor's bag or a student's. They weren't the only ones to use the room, and it certainly wasn't an uncommon candy during this time of year. Still, it made Jensen pause and think of different times.

Jake shook himself and continued to set up. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He could go on his usual technology and coding tangents once he was set up, but he couldn't afford to get lost in thoughts of men he hadn't talked to in over a year, especially now. But damn did he miss Cougar.

Jake set up the Powerpoint he swore he'd never use as a teaching tool until he actually stood in front of a class and tried to explain his brain without the help of neatly organized slides. His first class had been so overwhelmed that Jensen had brought them apology candy and caffeine the second day, and he stuck to Powerpoints for the basics then let himself run free as soon as someone asked a question.

“Okay, so picking up from where we left off last week, did everyone find the mistake in the code?” Jake asked as he searched the podium for the laser pointer that the professors always left there. He picked it up and stepped in front of the class. He noted that everyone was nodding their heads and he smiled.

“Great, now if you look here,” he said pressing the button on the pointer and aiming it at the screen. He almost jumped when a red heart appeared on the screen instead of the little red bead. It had freaked him out to use laser pointers at first because they always made him think of snipers which made him think of Cougar, but now that a heart was pointing right at the portion of text he wanted to read, he felt his heart start to beat a little faster.

“Who rigged my pointer?” he asked, still staring at the harmless little heart on the screen. No one said anything. That was a lie, several of the girls in the class laughed and whispered things about secret admirers. Jake shrugged it off. No one admired him, certainly not the other professors who called his teaching methods “unorthodox,” which meant wrong.

“Did I ever tell you guys about my Valentine's prank on my CO in the Army?” Jake found himself asking.

His students told him he hadn't, and Jake launched into the story of how Clay had given Jake an awful assignment just before Valentine's Day, because Clay had a date and didn't want to do his own paperwork. So, for Valentine's Day Jake rigged all of Clay's electronics from his alarm clock to his office computer all to play “My Heart Will Go On.” At first, Clay had been scared shit-less when Celine started belting _near far wherever you are_ , then he'd been livid. Eventually, he accepted that it wasn't going to end until Jake deemed it so, and it would only get worse if Clay retaliated. Of course, Jake had deemed it so when Cougar had threatened to shoot his favorite laptop if he had to hear the song one more time.

His students laughed, and he explained to them exactly what he'd done down to remotely programming Clay's ringtone, and he challenged them to pick someone in their life to torment this holiday with a classic like “My Heart Will Go On.” He offered extra credit to the best target and use of music.

He let his students take a break, knowing plenty of them smoked or needed more caffeine to make it through the second half of class. While they were out, Jake swept the room. He found a couple more pieces of candy on the floor. He ate two because he was weak, and if old enemies were going to pop up and murder him with poisoned chocolate hearts, at least Jake would go out on a sugar high.

They were as tasty as Jake remembered, melt in your mouth, bittersweet deliciousness. It made him think of the sinful noises Cougar would make behind the brim of his hat when Jake produced a bag in the middle of the desert. It had been a bitch and a half to get it there without melting, but Jake was a genius, and he wasn't above using said genius to hear orgasmic noises come out of his best friend.

Jake was flipping through his notes when the students started to filter back in.

“Professor Jensen?” Emily asked as she walked in. Jake nodded at her, not looking up from his laptop. “Um, someone left this outside the door with your name on it,” she said, placing a little clay pot with a petunia plant in it.

Jake froze as he looked down at the delicate pink flowers. The clay pot even had hand painted soccer balls on it. It couldn't possibly be a coincidence. Something weird was going on. “Th-thanks, Em,” he told her, trying to hide his sudden anxiety. Maybe Beth had sent it, but she wouldn't know which classroom to have it delivered to.

Emily smiled at him. Jake's eyes were drawn to her shirt which had the Cat in the Hat on it, and he almost jumped back. That had been a nickname he'd had for Cougar for a while. Jake felt like he was going crazy as he turned back to his class and saw a familiar looking cowboy hat up near the back. Jake grabbed his laser pointer, unthinking of the little heart shaped laser, and pointed it up at the man wearing the hat. A little red heart appeared on the guy's chest, and the kid looked up at him in confusion. Jake almost cried when it wasn't Cougar. He cursed himself for being so silly. “No hats in class. I need to be able to make eye contact to properly torment each of you,” Jake told him, and the kid took the hat off and placed it on the floor in the aisle next to his desk, in full view of Jensen.

Jake shook it off and began to teach again. He was doing his usual rounds of the class while rambling about his niece's new obsession which was volleyball, and how it applied to their current subject matter through about seventeen degrees of separation, but Jake was proud of her, and all of his students had come to accept that Beth was the class mascot whether she was aware of it or not. As he was talking about setting the ball, so her teammate could spike it and relating it to setting a strong foundation for other programers to build upon, he thought he smelled a familiar cologne.

Cougar hadn't worn cologne all that often—there were some things that even colegne couldn't mask, such as swamp stink—but when they had free time to go out to bars, he'd wear a specific scent that always made Jake a little weak in the knees. Jake almost stopped in front of the kid wearing the cologne and sniffed him, but he was an adult and sometimes, not always, he had impulse control. So, he marched back to the front podium and continued the lesson where no one could see the semi he was suddenly sporting.

Jake kept pinching his skin, thinking he was having a crazy dream. He counted his fingers three times, always coming up with ten. He'd had strange and realistic dreams about Cougar before. They usually ended in a sweat with a mess on his hands.

“Dr. Jensen, are you alright?” Samantha asked from the front row. Jake realized he was muttering about snipers being sneaky fuckers that would steal your heart and disappear for years at a time.

“Shit,” was all Jake could come up with. “I'm just having a weird day, guys. I think I'm going to call it quits. Go get your significant others something from the dozens of stands outside or just your friends. Friends need love too,” Jake told them as he started closing down his programs. When he closed out of his Powerpoint, he actually did jump when a photo of him and Cougar in full desert gear was his background. He had to take a deep breath because he'd been the one to change his background to that three days earlier during one of his weaker moments.

“Is that the friend you always talk about?” Emily asked.

“What? Oh yeah, that's Cougar. He's been my best friend for over a decade now,” Jake told them as he disconnected his computer from the projector.

“He's really handsome!” another girl said, and Jake laughed.

“Yeah, he knows it too. I've yet to meet a person who could resist his charms,” Jake said, grabbing the pieces of chocolate he'd found. He would definitely be eating those while he got drunk on cheap beer and watched sappy romances. Maybe Erin and Beth would take pity on him and come over to watch _Valentine's Day_.

Everyone was giving him that tender look you give your child when their first boyfriend breaks their heart. He hadn't thought he was that obvious about his love for Cougar. He hadn't even thought he'd talked about him all that much. He certainly didn't think that macho Brady or cyber criminal Colin would be supportive of him being anything other than a super straight, skirt chasing professor. However, even they were looking at him like they wanted to give him a hug and pawn off a cupid pop or two on him.

“Okay, well I've got to get home to my Friday night beer and grading party, so let's get this on the road. Remember projects are due in three weeks. My office hours are 1-3 on Tuesday and Thursday, and lastly practice safe sex kids. It's all fun and games until someone gets genital warts. Trust me you don't want those. I knew a guy in the Army with them. He wasn't even getting any from his own hand, it was so gross,” Jake told them. When he was satisfied that his students were sufficiently disgusted, he grabbed his briefcase and made a break for it.

He just needed to get to his car, check for any explosives, and get home. Then he could hide from the rest of the world while he thought about what Cougar was up to. He knew he did private security for some high ranking people, but that's all he knew. Cougar had nearly died in the final showdown with Max. Jake had dragging him out against orders, but Jake couldn't leave him. Cougar had slowly recovered under Jake's care, and when he was healthy again he'd disappeared from Jake's life as though he hadn't been sleeping in Jake's spare room for months.

Jake had promised himself that he wouldn't keep constant tabs on him. It wasn't healthy, and if Cougar wanted to be with him, he'd be here. He hadn't had to leave. He could've stayed with Jake, worked nearby, spent his nights watching bad movies with him and eating takeout.

Jake dug his cellphone out of his pocket as he walked. He sent a text to Cougar. He sent him texts periodically just to let him know stupid things only Jake found funny, but he knew that they would at least make Cougar smile. God, he missed that smile.

_—I think I've finally lost it. Like really lost it, hallucinating that you're here with me, leaving me chocolates and little plants for Valentine's Day. I'm an idiot huh?—_

Jake shoved his phone back into his pocket as he walked through the halls to get to his car.

He was preoccupied with staring at the ground in front of him when Becky called to him. “Dr. Jensen, don't forget your bouquet,” she said. Jake stumbled to a halt and turned to see the smiling redhead holding out his ridiculous rainbow bouquet.

Jake laughed as he stepped up to the table. “How silly of me. Wouldn't want to forget Beth's flowers. Don't have too many Valentine's Days left before she starts bringing boys home and thinking I'm a weirdo instead of the best uncle ever,” he said as he bundled the roses into his arms. That'd be when it all came crashing down. He didn't think he could bear losing Cougar _and_ Beth.

“She'll never think that, Dr. Jensen. You're awesome,” Becky told him, patting his shoulder.

Jake laughed good-naturedly. “Yeah, that's why I'm buying a bouquet for my niece instead of my girlfriend,” he said self-deprecatingly.

“Oh, I think there's someone waiting just for you, Dr. J.”

“That's very sweet of you, Becky,” Jake told her, shaking his head at the thought. “I should getting going. I've got plenty of assignments in need of grading to keep me company,” Jake said, turning to go when a beautiful purple rose caught his eye. “Has anyone bought you a rose today, Becky?”

“Oh no, I just sell them. No one gets me any,” she laughed like it hadn't crossed her mind.

“Well, I think that purple rose, right there, would look beautiful in your hair. So, here's the money, and if you so choose you could have a rose on me for being so sweet to a poor old sap,” Jake told her, putting his bags down and digging into his pocket. He was finding the couple of dollars while Becky blushed and smiled happily at him when “My Heart Will Go On” started to play. “What the—”

“Your phone?” Becky asked, and Jake could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket, but that was certainly _not_ his ringtone. Jake put his wallet down and pulled out his phone, and sure enough the song got even louder.

“What the hell?” Jake asked as he looked at the display to see Cougar's face smirking back. Shit, he really should've changed that picture. “I wasn't expecting a call. I mean, you guys have been saying I'm losing it for years. Not really phone call worthy, Coug,” Jake said by way of greeting. Jake glanced up to see Becky wearing the clipped rose he'd picked in her chignon and watching him like his sister watched the end of _Pride and Prejudice_.

“Turn around,” was all Cougar said over the line.

“Shit, is there a hit on me?” Jake ducked, but then he thought of Becky and shot back up to block her. He'd never questioned Cougar's directions in the field. Clearly, Cougar had been gone too long, and Jake was getting sloppy.

“Turn around,” Cougar said again, and this time Jake followed the order.

Cougar was sitting at one of the tables across the wide hallway, next to the lunch cart. He had his hat tipped back so Jake could see his eyes, and he had a bouquet of red roses and a cup of coffee in front of him. Jake actually dropped his precious phone as he stared at the man. Jake really must have been dreaming because Cougar was smiling at him with the smile he used on ladies he already knew he was going to sleep with. Jake knew all of Cougar's expressions.

Jake snapped out of his awestruck daze when “My Heart Will Go On” started to play over the PA system. Jake hated to admit it, but someone was definitely getting extra credit at his expense.

Cougar had risen out of his seat when Jake looked back at him, and Jake threw caution to the wind and ran over to him and jumped into his arms. Cougar caught him with ease and held him close to his body. Cougar didn't spin him around, but Jake could forgive him for that. People started to cheer, and Jake turned to see his students watching them with bright smiles.

“You sneak. You used my students to make me think I was going crazy! I should fail them all for helping you,” Jake told him, sending pitiful glares over his shoulder. “And them. They played me like I used to play Clay. I've gone soft, Coug,” he said, horrified.

“Sí,” Cougar told him unhelpfully, pulling him closer.

“The chocolates?” Jake asked, and Cougar nodded. “Becky and Steve with the Cupid pops?” Cougar nodded again. “The laser pointer, Emily's shirt, and the hat?”

“Sí.”

“Sneaky bastard,” Jake laughed. “You come to save me from the monotony of civilian life?” Jake asked, still refusing to let go of Cougar.

“Something like that,” Cougar told him before leaning in to capture Jake's lips in a searing kiss. Part of Jake wanted the earth to swallow him up for sharing his first kiss with Cougar while Celine Dion belted out the chorus of the Titanic theme—a movie he'd only seen because Cougar loved trashy romances. However, the much larger portion of his brain had stopped functioning due to circuit overload and was currently sparking and catching fire as Cougar sought entrance to his mouth.

Jake was helpless to fight the moan that escaped when he opened his lips, and he certainly couldn't be blamed for knocking Cougar's hat off when he buried his fingers in Cougar's hair. Jake had always wondered what one of Cougar's possessive growls would feel like against his lips, and now he knew, and he wanted him to do it again. He might just have mumbled that too because Cougar growled again and pulled Jake's hips against his own. Jake could definitely get behind that...just not in front of his students.

Jake pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against Cougar's and take a calming breath. His glasses were fogged up, and it made him chuckle. “I'm totally cool with the 80s movie-esque cheesy win the girl over moment, but um, I probably shouldn't get caught humping you in front of my students and the rest of campus,” Jake said, and Cougar laughed quietly. “You _are_ trying to win me over right? Like we didn't just makeout because I got the wrong idea and you didn't have the heart to tell me I was totally wrong, right?”

“Definitely not wrong,” Cougar told him, succinct as ever.

“Well that's a relief. Are those flowers for me?” Jake asked, reaching for them. Cougar caught his hand before Jake could touch them.

“No. They are for Beth,” Cougar chuckled as Jake gave him an affronted look.

“For Beth? But _I'm_ the one willing to give you my anal virginity...” Cougar gave him his patented 'did you hear the words that just came out of your mouth' look, and Jake cringed. “Oh god. That came out so wrong. We need to stop at the store and buy another deadbolt for Erin's house. No boys are _ever_ getting near Beth.  I know how their minds work. No sir, but I also think it is unfair that she gets flowers from both of us, and I am left with nothing...probably not even my anal virginity.”

Cougar rolled his eyes.  “She gets flowers because she is twelve, and flowers will make her day. She is also the one that is going to give me the 'shovel talk,' so flowers can't hurt.  And, I will shoot any boys who try to take advantage of your niece.  You can stop buying more deadbolts. Your flowers are orange, and they are in your car which needs better alarms,” Cougar told him, grabbing his flowers and coffee and picking up his hat, so they could leave.

“Bribery, I can stand behind that, and orange you say? How did you know I love orange?”

“I bunked with you for a decade,” Cougar said, rolling his eyes. Jake was bouncing as he went to retrieve his things. His students were still standing there, watching with smiles on their faces.

“Sure sure, guys. Very funny. You'll clearly do anything to get out of an hour of class,” Jake said as Becky handed him his cell phone back. “Also, I may have walked right into that Celine Dion gag, but don't think I won't have my revenge. You don't start a prank war with the king, ain't that right Cougs?” Jake said over his shoulder, where Cougar as standing pressed to his back.

“I don't know. You have gone soft in your old age. Maybe these young men and women can beat you at your own game now. They got you today,” Cougar said, resting his chin on Jake's shoulder.

“They had help! They had sneaky, professional badass help. I am not old. You're five years older than me, _and_ I am not soft. I will show you just how young and hard I am when we get home!” Jake insisted, and Cougar gave him that look again while his students laughed. “I walked into that one too, but that's because you fight dirty.”

“ _Sí_. Gracias muchachos,” Cougar said, turning to the students as Jake tried to figure out how he'd easily been played.

“No problem, Mr. Alvarez. Don't be too upset, Dr. Jensen. We just want to see you happy. You're always so awesome to us, but you always look sad when you go home on the weekends,” Emily told him, holding hands with her own boyfriend.

Jake chuckled. “I guess I really am going soft. You really didn't have to guys, but thank you, this means a lot,” Jake told them. Cougar ran his hand gently down Jake's back, and Jake suppressed a shiver.

Cougar helped him with his briefcase, and they walked to Jake's car together. Jake bumped his shoulder against Cougar's as they went and smiled at him when he glanced over. Cougar returned it, and Jake could feel the warmth settle through him. Cougar had come back for him, and won him over in a way totally for Jake's benefit.

“You're the best,” Jake told him when they'd thrown everything in the back seat and were leaning against the passenger side door. Cougar had his back to the car and his arms wrapped around Jake.

“Sí,” Cougar nodded with that smirk of his.

“Don't get cocky. I can still tell Beth that you were mean to me,” Jake told him with a smirk of his own.

“You wouldn't dare.”

“Wouldn't I?”

Cougar pulled him in and kissed him thoroughly, and as they were pulling away from each other, Jake's phone went off, and Celine started singing again.

“Why did I tell them that story?” Jake groaned, pulling his phone out and shutting it off. “Now where was I?” Cougar raised an eyebrow and pulled Jake in. “Coug, is that a scope in your pocket or—”

Cougar shut him up with another demanding kiss. Jake couldn't say he really minded.


End file.
